HomeNorth CarolinaMcDowell County
McDowell County, North Carolina: commercial real estate data.
McDowell County, North Carolina had an estimated 45,269 residents on July 1, 2024, up 1.5 percent since the 2020 census base of 44,583, across 441 square miles. County output reached $2.77 bn in 2024, 822 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 17 7(a) approvals worth $6.1 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
McDowell County
How many people live in McDowell County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202444,817
- Households18,638
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$57,168
- Median age44.3
- Median gross rent$806 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$171,100
- Home value to household income3.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher18.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree5.7 percent
- Adults 25 and over32,913
- Population under 188,692
- Share under 1819.4 percent
- Population 65 and over9,401
- Share 65 and over21.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6426,724
- Civilian labor force20,208
- Unemployment rate4.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over55.9 percent
- Rank by population among North Carolina counties56th of 100
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included1105th of 3,222
McDowell County is the 56th largest of 100 North Carolina counties by population. A median home costs 3.0 times median household income, which is affordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 21.0 percent against 19.4 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
McDowell County
Is McDowell County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202445,269
- Census 2020 base population44,583
- Population change since the 2020 census base1.54 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024301
- Births, 2024379
- Deaths, 2024646
- Natural change, 2024-267
- Net domestic migration, 2024414
- Net international migration, 2024156
- Total net migration, 2024570
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20241,472
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1316th of 3,144
The county has grown 1.54 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
McDowell County
Where are people moving to McDowell County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,076
- People arriving, from those returns1,932
- Tax returns filed by households leaving855
- Net household movement221
- Adjusted gross income arriving$77.3 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$23.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$71,824
- Average income of a leaving household$63,037
- Largest single originBuncombe County (272 households)
- Largest single destinationBurke County (143 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buncombe County | 272 | 475 | $21.5 m |
| Burke County | 102 | 189 | $3.9 m |
| Rutherford County | 39 | 86 | $1.8 m |
| Mitchell County | 33 | 57 | $1.1 m |
| Mecklenburg County | 32 | 53 | $3.9 m |
| Catawba County | 22 | 48 | $1.2 m |
| Henderson County | 22 | 42 | $1.3 m |
Households arriving report $8,787 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Buncombe County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
McDowell County
What is the McDowell County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$2.77 bn
- County GDP, 2023$2.57 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.6 percent
- GDP change over five years34.1 percent
- Rank by GDP among the North Carolina areas BEA publishes48th of 100
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes1037th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$61,733
Output grew 7.6 percent in the latest year and 34.1 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
McDowell County
Employment by industry in McDowell County
- Covered employment, annual average15,350
- Establishments reporting970
- Average annual pay$47,365
- Average weekly wage$911
- Manufacturing, employment4,994
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$56,360
- Retail trade, employment2,251
- Retail trade, average annual pay$31,771
- Accommodation and food services, employment1,200
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$21,356
- Construction, employment692
- Construction, average annual pay$56,197
- Administrative and support and waste management services, employment595
- Other services, except public administration, employment449
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manufacturing | 4,994 | 52 | $56,360 |
| Retail trade | 2,251 | 142 | $31,771 |
| Accommodation and food services | 1,200 | 94 | $21,356 |
| Construction | 692 | 124 | $56,197 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 595 | 74 | $38,755 |
| Other services, except public administration | 449 | 75 | $42,760 |
| Wholesale trade | 216 | 40 | $59,958 |
| Finance and insurance | 202 | 43 | $74,347 |
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 4,994 jobs, 32.5 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
McDowell County
How many businesses are in McDowell County?
- Establishments, all industries822
- Employment at those establishments13,495
- Annual payroll$630.6 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents18.3
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
McDowell County
Building permits in McDowell County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024175
- Declared construction value permitted$86.4 m
- Single family units authorized175
- Multifamily units authorized0
- Multifamily share of units0.0 percent
- Average declared value per unit$493,727
- Units authorized per 1,000 households9.4
Single-family homes are 100.0 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
McDowell County
SBA loans in McDowell County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded17
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$6.1 m
- Average 7(a) approval$357,029
- Median 7(a) approval$241,000
- Largest single approval$1,570,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)143
- Jobs per approval8.4
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active10
- Distinct industries receiving approvals15
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer17.6 percent
- Loans on real estate terms3
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter12
- Franchise loans1
- Franchise share of approvals5.9 percent
- Most active lenderWells Fargo Bank National Association (5)
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
McDowell County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in McDowell County
Do SBA loans in McDowell County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded5
- Paid in full5
- Charged off0
- Status: Paid in full5
- Status: Cancelled1
- Status: Exempt from disclosure11
Only 5 loans have reached a final outcome, fewer than the 30 a charge-off rate needs, so no rate is published.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
McDowell County
SBA lending by place in McDowell County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending3
- Marion, approvals9
- Old Fort, approvals5
- Nebo, approvals3
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Marion | 9 | $2,720,000 |
| Old Fort | 5 | $1,631,000 |
| Nebo | 3 | $1,718,500 |
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
McDowell County
How large is McDowell County?
- Land area441 sq mi
- Rank by land area among North Carolina counties55th of 100
- Width, east to west26.2 mi
- Height, north to south30 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land102
- Establishments per square mile1.86
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
McDowell County
Flood risk in McDowell County
- Participation of the county's own NFIP community McDowell County, unincorporated areasParticipating, community 370148
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book3
- Of those, participating in the NFIP3
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in McDowell County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The county's own community in the status book, unincorporated McDowell County (community 370148), participates in the National Flood Insurance Program and carries no Community Rating System class, so no CRS premium discount applies there. The EPA places McDowell County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a McDowell County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a McDowell County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202444,817
- Households18,638
- Average household size2.40
- Median household income$57,168
- Median age44.3
Common questions
McDowell County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in McDowell County, North Carolina?
The Census Bureau estimates 45,269 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 44,817, in 18,638 households, ranking 56th of 100 North Carolina counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is McDowell County's population growing?
The population has grown 1.54 percent since the 2020 census base of 44,583, to 45,269 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 379 births against 646 deaths, with net migration of 570. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in McDowell County?
$57,168. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $171,100, which is 3.0 times income, and median gross rent is $806 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in McDowell County?
822 establishments, employing 13,495 people with an annual payroll of $630.6 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in McDowell County?
Manufacturing is the largest private sector at 4,994 jobs, 32.5 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 15,350 jobs at an average annual pay of $47,365, or $911 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in McDowell County?
17 7(a) approvals totaling $6.1 m since FY2020, across 10 lenders, with a median approval of $241,000. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
How many building permits were issued in McDowell County?
175 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $86.4 m. Multifamily was 0.0 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for McDowell County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to McDowell County come from?
The largest single origin is Buncombe County, with 272 households. Arriving households report an average income of $71,824 against $63,037 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for McDowell County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for McDowell County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
McDowell County
Cities and places in McDowell.
5 Census places lie wholly or partly in McDowell County. All 5 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marion | city | 7,579 | 9 | Wholly in this county |
| Nebo | CDP | 1,670 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
| West Marion | CDP | 1,066 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Old Fort | town | 555 | 5 | Wholly in this county |
| Glenwood | CDP | 226 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |